After 12 races contested with Toro Rosso in 2019, 26 with Red Bull between 2019 and 2020, and 61 others with Williams since 2022, Alex Albon will reach the symbolic milestone of 100 Grand Prix on the Circuit of the Americas this weekend. Although he recognizes that the significant number of races on the calendar facilitates this achievement, he nevertheless considers it “an important step”. Arriving in F1 with the Red Bull family, Albon was the first Thai to join the discipline since Prince Bira in 1954.
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The number 23 only represented Toro Rosso for a dozen races, replacing Pierre Gasly at Red Bull a few months after his debut. He won the only two podiums of his career with the Milton Keynes team (3rd at Mugello and Sakhir in 2020). Unable to convince his management, he was demoted to the position of reserve driver for the 2021 season. A journey which was not “as smooth as other drivers on the grid”according to him, but which then led him to a starting position at Williams.
A stable driver generation
Albon looked back on his career during an interview with F1.com. In particular, he was asked to talk about his relationships with the other pilots on the set. He is looking forward to sharing the track with some of the same drivers from his debut. His first race in Formula 1 coincided with the debut of Lando Norris and George Russell in the discipline. “It’s just great that we’re all still here […] I think becoming a Formula 1 driver is one thing, and remaining a Formula 1 driver is another.”he testifies.
Aside from the two Britons, the Thai has also rubbed shoulders with many other residents of the paddock since his young years: “I don’t just see the three of us, but also Charles [Leclerc]Max [Verstappen]Carlos [Sainz]…Stephen, Pierre [Gasly] – a lot of us have raced against each other, and so to be racing against each other again, it’s quite surreal in a way. »
A different approach at Williams than at Red Bull
Albon chose to leave the Red Bull institution when he was approached by Williams for the 2022 season. This meant a change in his approach to Grand Prix and his perception of the competition: “My role at Red Bull was to perform, very simply. »
The strong competition within the Milton Keynes team sometimes pushes drivers to adopt individualistic behavior. “I think what’s happened particularly at Williams is that we’re obviously not in a position where we can’t be so selfish, and we have to work together to really move the team forward.”analyzes Albon. This allowed him to be “more open” with a common goal of developing the single-seater. “I like this role, I think it’s necessary. We’re a growing team, and having that kind of open relationship allows the development of the car and our success, I believe, to happen faster. »
The fight for 6th place
Progress has been made in recent months within the Grove stable. Having taken eighth place from Alpine in the constructors’ championship, it can now look ahead and hope to close its gap on Haas and Red Bull, who respectively have 17 and 20 points more.
Read also : An update on the challenges of a suspenseful end to the season
Getting a point or two per Grand Prix won’t be enough. The British team will have to remain well placed and rely on racing events to garner as many points as possible if the four leaders (McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes) do not weaken. “If we can just be the fifth fastest team, then we can hope for a wild ride, and that P9 turns into P6 or something, and then we’ll be right in the fight [avec Haas et RB] »estimates the 28-year-old pilot.
What about the future?
Alex Albon will have a new teammate for the 2025 season in Carlos Sainz. If this year promises to be delicate, Williams having announced that it will make compromises to better prepare for 2026, the following seasons could reserve their share of surprises with the arrival of new regulations in F1.
Asked about the rest of his career, Albon replied: “I think there’s a good chance it’s Williams again. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I hope that at my 200th GP we will talk about the fight for podiums and more places at the front. »
Read also : Alex Albon aboard a Williams in Gulf colors at the Speed Festival in São Paulo
